WASHINGTON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair toldthe United States Congress on Thursday that thewar on terror would not be won without peacebetween Israel and the Palestinians.

"There is one cause terrorismrides upon, a cause they haveno belief in but canmanipulate," he said. "I wantto be very plain: Thisterrorism will not be defeatedwithout peace in the MiddleEast between Israel andPalestine."

In the first address to Congress by a Britishprime minister since Margaret Thatcher in 1985,Blair said that the entire Arab world mustrecognize the State of Israel, and endincitement against both Israel and Jews.

"Here it is that the poison is incubated. Hereit is that the extremist is able to confuse inthe mind of a frighteningly large number ofpeople the case for a Palestinian state and thedestruction of Israel, and to translate thismoreover into a battle between East and West,Muslim, Jew and Christian.

"May this never compromise the security of theState of Israel. The State of Israel should berecognized by the entire Arab world, and thevile propaganda used to indoctrinate children,not just against Israel but against Jews, mustcease.

"You cannot teach people hate and then ask themto practice peace. But neither can you teachpeople peace except by according them dignityand granting them hope.

Innocent Israelis suffer. So do innocentPalestinians."

The prime minister also Congress that hebelieves "with every fiber of instinct andconviction" that the U.S. and British led waron Iraq was justified - and that history willforgive them if weapons allegations used asjustification were wrong.

"We promised Iraq democratic government. We willdeliver it," he said.

The prime minister suggested that history willforgive the toppling of Saddam Hussein'sgovernment even if it turns out that Blair andPresident George W. Bush were wrong about Iraqiweapons of mass destruction.

To have hesitated "in the face of this menacewhen we should have given leadership ... thatis something that history will not forgive,"Blair said, to loud applause from House membersand senators.

Blair entered the House chamber to a standingovation of lawmakers, senior Bushadministration officials and American militarybrass.

The prime minister wryly thanked his audiencefor a "warm and generous welcome that's morethan I deserve, and it's more than I'm used to,quite frankly."

That was a reference to domestic Birtishpolitics. Before the war, Blair drew strongeropposition in the House of Commons to militaryaction than Bush did in Congress. And likeBush, he has been hit hard by post-warcontroversy over questionable intelligenceabout Saddam Hussein's nuclear aims.

Blair's visit to Congress, and then to the WhiteHouse for a meeting and joint news conferencewith Bush, came amid deepening questions aboutthe intelligence information both leaders usedin arguing that war against Iraq wasnecessary.

The two leaders were the closest of allies onthe war, but the relationship has been strainedin recent weeks over questions about Britishclaims that Iraq sought to buy uranium inAfrica and the president's use of such anassertion in his Jan. 28 State of the Unionaddress.

"Can we be sure that terrorists and weapons ofmass destruction will join together?" Blairasked. "Let us say one thing. If we are wrong,we will have destroyed a threat that at itsleast is responsible for inhumane carnage andsuffering."

Blair arrived aboard his British Airways jet inearly afternoon and went directly to CapitolHill. It was the first leg of a seven-day tourthat will also take him to Asia. He is thefirst British prime minister to address a jointmeeting of Congress since Margaret Thatcher in1985.

His speech also touched on the war on terrorism,the Middle East peace process, the need toeradicate poverty, disease and famine in Africaand the need to promote free trade.

"This terrorism will not be defeated withoutpeace in the Middle East," he said.

In what appeared to be mild criticism of theBush administration, Blair also said it wasimportant to act in coalitions, not going italone. "Let us start preferring a coalition andacting alone if we have to, not the other wayaround," he said.

And, he called on lawmakers not to continue tobear grudges against European countries whoopposed the war.

"They are our allies. And yours. So don't giveup on Europe," he said.

"When we invade Afghanistan or Iraq, ourresponsibility does not end with militaryvictory," Blair said. "Finishing the fightingis not finishing the job. We promised Iraqdemocratic government. We will deliver it."

"We promised them the chance to use their oilwells to build prosperity for all theircitizens, not a corrupt elite. We will staywith these people so in need of help until thejob is done."

"I believe with every fiber of instinct andconviction I have that we are" right indeciding to go to war without broadinternational support, Blair said.

Ahead of his visit, White House spokesman ScottMcClellan reiterated the recent administrationstance that Bush's mention of the BritishIraq-Africa report should not have beenincluded in the January address.

Still, he added, "the British have been veryclear that they stand by that statement."

Bush said in his State of the Union address,"The British government has learned that SaddamHussein recently sought significant quantitiesof uranium from Africa."

The Iraq-Africa dispute has stoked criticismagainst both the Blair and Bush governments,and Blair's visit helped to further drawattention.

CIA Director George Tenet has thus far taken theblame, suggesting he should have objected whena draft of Bush's speech was circulated to hisagency.